1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to childbirth technologies and more particularly, to a childbirth aid, which helps the pregnant woman to give birth in squatting position, enhancing stable body equilibrium and speeding the birthing.
2. Description of the Related Art
Childbirth is one of the important things in life. The arrival of a new baby can bring you joy and happiness, but the mother has to tolerate physical and mental suffering. A bit careless can lead to maternal or fetal life risk, therefore, the process of childbirth is considerably important.
Normally, in the labor process, the expectant women, her companion and obstetric caregivers are considered to be the most watched stage (Motherhood & Newborn Health, 2012). This stage determines the pregnant women to take natural childbirth or to use an equipment for assisting the delivery. Natural childbirth gives an affirmation of self-ability to the pregnant woman. A prolonged birth pushing time can be due to that the fetus is too large, the pregnant woman is unable to give force or gives force in a wrong way, or the pelvic inlet and outlet (birth canal) is not open. In order to let the pregnant woman and health care workers finish the childbirth earlier, a caesarean section can then be selected.
For decades, to reduce the caesarean section rate, many documents discuss the importance of support in delivery, freedom of movement and birth pushing in upright position for promoting women's physical and metal comfort and accelerating the delivery process in a smooth manner (Walker et al., 2012; Zhang Su-Juan, 2005; Huang Jing-Fen, 2011). Fraser and Cooper (2009) indicated four key factors for safety delivery, including: uterine contractions, decreased fetal head, the degree of rotation, and flexion. The fetal and maternal well-being condition and the birth pushing position will affect the strength of uterine contractions. Applying birth pushing in upright position, more particularly, squatting position is more likely to compress the end of the uterus, to force the cervix to dilate, to enhance and promote the strength of uterine contractions, and to assist fetal head drop (Lawrence, Lewis, Hofmeyr, Dowswell, & Styles, 2009; P. P. Simkin & O'Hara, 2002; Penny Simkin & Ancheta, 2011), thereby shortening the delivery process and obtaining more satisfying childbirth experience (Thornton, 1996; Zhang Su-Juan, 2005). Further, giving birth in this manner has less pain, can significantly reduce perineal lacerations and the chance of episiotomy surgery (Gould, 2000). Applying birth pushing in upright position has less concern with abnormal fetal heart tones, the first five minutes after birth, Apgar scores less than seven points, the rate of neonatal emergency (Gardosi, Hutson, & C, 1989; Menticoglou, Manning, Harman, & Morrison, 1995; Nasir, Korejo, & Noorani, 2007).
Nasir et al (2007) discovered that pregnant women would prefer childbirth in squatting position rather than lying position for the sake of ease of birth pushing, although squatting position is difficult to maintain, and also discovered that changing from lying position to squatting position facilitates pregnant women to render force in pushing the fetus if the child birth process slows down. Further, as indicated in literature studies, when the soles of the feet are closely attached to the floor during squatting, prolonged squatting can increase the load of the leg muscles, leading to an uncomfortable feeling (Sriwarno, Shimomura, Iwanaga, & Katsuura, 2008). Therefore, it is recommend that nurses facing the childbirth process should continuously provide support to pregnant women physically as well as emotionally (Mayberry, Strange, Suplee, & Gennaro, 2003), maternal obstetric caregivers should also let pregnant women know the influence of accurate birth pushing position on mother and newborn. Master's thesis in Taiwan, Zhang Su-Juan (2005), discussed the effect of upright position pushing method in second stage of labor and Master's thesis in Taiwan, Chen Su-Xian (1998), discussed effects of Posture Education Program on Women”s Pain Perception and Self-Efficacy during Labor. These master's theses do not individually make a research on squatting related achievements of the labor force. The study of the invention is to provide a childbirth aid for helping all mothers in birth pushing, improving birth pushing effectiveness and self-efficacy and reducing the risk of maternal and neonatal complications and maternal pain.
In the delivery room, most primipara gave birth in a lying position, half-lying position, or side-lying position. A mother giving birth in a lying position, half-lying position, or side-lying position will spend a long hard time, and the pregnant mother may give up natural childbirth and select caesarean section. The birth pushing position affects the result of childbirth. Birth pushing in a lying position will maintain a 30 degree angle between the pelvis and the spine, keeping the fetal head far from the pelvic inlet. Further, in a lying position, the body weight of the pregnant woman is concentrated on the sacrum and the coccyx, impeding the declination of the fetal head, causing the risk of bone pressure, nerve damage and blood clots in the limbs during childbirth. Childbirth with vertical force is recommended by many experts. In human anatomy, childbirth in an upright position can increase the diameter of the pelvic inlet and outlet, enabling the pelvic angle to be maintained in the range of 90 degrees to 120 degrees. Further, the effect of gravity during childbirth in an upright position helps the first exposed portion of the fetus to enter the pelvic inlet, accelerating delivery. In childbirth with vertical force, the best birthing position is squatting. Giving birth while squatting can expand the pelvic outlet about 25%, and can also shorten labor.
Further, giving birth in squatting has less pain, can reduce the use of analgesics, give comfort, help increase fetal blood oxygen and reduce fetal blood carbon dioxide, and can also significantly reduce perineal lacerations, the chance of episiotomy surgery or the use of an auxiliary equipment. However, a woman cannot independently sustain a squat for long. When one is squatting, the body center of gravity is disposed behind the fulcrum of the mechanism of the foot, as shown in FIG. 6, and a transverse bar or pad must be provided to give a support.